Combined life-preserver and magazine



(No Model.)

E. BENNETT.

GAOMBINBDLIFB PRESERVER AND MAGAZINE. No. 535,045. Patented Mar. 5, 1895 FIG. I,

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ERASMUS BENNETT, OF TOPEKA, KANSAS.

COMBINED LlFE-PRESERVER AND MAGAZINE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 535,045, dated March 5, 1895. Application filed March 31,1894. Serial No. 505,375. (No model.)

To aZZ whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, ERASMUS BENNETT, a citizen of the United States, residing at T0- peka, in the county of Shawnee and State of Kansas, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in a Combined Life-Preserver and Magazine; and I do declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, and to the letters and numerals of reference marked thereon, which form a part of this specification.

My invention relates to devices for the protection and defense of persons who may at any time or place be in danger from the attacks of burglars, robbers, pirates, 850., while guarding treasures, whether upon a car or other moving vehicle; or stationary in some apartment in a building, or whereveratreasure may be located and there is danger to life through an attack made upon the person guarding or watching said treasure; and my improvements consist in placing a shield, having a port hole and side entrance and capable of being revolved, within a stationary shield having a series of port holes so arranged that the port hole of the revolving shield may be brought into line or made to register with any one of the port holes in said series.

Figure 1 is a view in elevation of my invention as secured to the inside of a carbody' (shown in section) at one corner thereof. Fig. 2 is an isometrical viewin elevation of my invention detached. Fig. 3 isa vertical section through Fig. 2, centrally of the registered port holes. Fig. 4 isa view in elevation of the inner shield.

An outer stationary shield A, is provided with a series of peripherally arranged port holes a, and side entrance or opening B, and conical or pointed top and bottom, or upper and lower end pieces. The lower end piece I), is provided with a flooring which has a socket c, and is filled with wood pulp, fibrous material or any material that will give it the necessary strength or cause it to resist the force of explosives, such as powder, dynamite, &c. The upper end a is provided with a socket e, and openings f. Door B is made to close entrance B.

An inner or magazine shield C, is provided with a side opening or entrance D, door E, and port hole g. A pivot pin 72, is secured to a cross-piece 2", at the bottom, and at top is a similar pinj, also openings 70. Pins 72. andj, enter corresponding sockets c and e in outer shield.

The cross-piece i, is secured centrally to the bottom of the inner shield, thus leaving the bottom open on both sides thereof so that the watchman may,if desired, transfer his weight through these openings to the floor of the outer shield. The under central portion of the cross-piece is extended downward slightly (as shown in Figs. 3 and 4) to which extended portion the pin h, is secured and upon which the weight of the inner cylinder is brought to bear, leaving an unobstructed space, elsewhere, between the floor of the outer shield and the bottom of the inner one.

The inner shield may be provided with ammunition, guns, pistols, the.

Bands 1, and 2, secured to the outer shield by rivets or otherwise are made to hold the invention in place (within a car body) by bolting, or otherwise securing said bands to the car body. See Fig. 1. Although I have shown my invention located within and secured to a car body at one corner, it may be located at any other desired point within the car body or so located as to be partly within and partly without so that a person within the shield or shields may inspect both the inside and outside of the car. The outer shield may be provided with suitable standards so as to be capable of being set up anywhere within an apartment, or at any desired place within a bank or vault, or any other place whatever, where valuables are kept and where the person watching or guarding the same is in danger of losing his life or being injured through an attack upon him by robbers, dzc.

Although I haveshown my invention as composed of an outer and inner shieldtwo concentric cylindersthis form may be departed from somewhat to suit place and surroundings. The outer shield with its upper and lower ends pointed, serves to prevent a cartridge of explosive material being readily applied to the top, and this formation also serves to break the force of an explosion whether at top or bottom.

Ventilation is provided for through the openingsfand k, and the port-holes.

The shields are to be made of iron (boiler iron) or other suitable bullet-proof material.

The doors B and E may be provided with suitable looks or bolts.

A person in danger may pass into the inner or magazine shield and standing upon the floor of the outer shield may turn, by hand, the inner or magazine shield until its port-hole registers with any desired porthole in the outer shield, when the two shields are used in combination. By this arrangement it will be seen that a watchman within the inner shield can thoroughly protect himself against any missiles coming through any of the port-holes in the outer shield by turning the inner one so that its port-hole will be in a line midway of any two port-holes in the outer shield; and that he is always protected in his rear when looking out or defending himself Having thus described my invention, what I claim therein as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

1. The combination of an outer stationary shield, having a side entrance and a series of port-holes, with an inner revolving shield having a side entrance and a port-hole so arranged that upon the rotation of the inner shield said port hole will register with any desired port-hole in the outer shield.

2. The outer stationary shield having a side entrance, a series of peripherally arranged port-holes and the conical or pointed end piecesthe lower one of which is filled with fibrous materialin combination with the inner revolving shield having a port-hole and side entrance, substantially as described.

3. A shield having its top and bottom pointed, a series of port holes and side entrance, in combination Witha rotary inner shield having a port-hole, side entrance and openings at bottom, substantially as described.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

' ERASMUS BENNETT.

Witnesses:

O. T. THOMPSON, J. WILLIAMSON, Jr. 

